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Troops to secure power assets – FG

By on September 19, 2015

To curb acts of vandalism and destruction of power assets across the country, the Nigerian military will secure infrastructure belonging to power distribution and generation firms as well as those owned by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.

It was learnt that the resolution was reached at a meeting in Abuja, which had in attendance officials of the Federal Ministry of Power, the power generation and distribution companies, TCN, Electricity Market Operator, Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Authority and all other key players in the sector as well as officers from the military high command.

The Permanent Secretary, FMP, Dr. Goodknows Igali, said all issues pertaining to the deployment of troops, logistic support and operational review since the period preceding the handing over of the power assets to private companies were examined during the meeting.

The Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Fatai Alli, assured the power firms that the army would do everything possible to ensure a round the clock safety of power assets across the country.

The military, in a statement by the Power ministry, disclosed that this was against the backdrop of the general insecurity in the land, especially the ongoing insurgency in the North-East region.

Alli said it was the Army’s constitutional duty to provide security when national assets were under high level threat and attacks.

Igali, who presided over the meeting, used the occasion to commend the gallantry of the military in securing power infrastructure when labour unions were hell bent on truncating the privatisation efforts of the Federal Government.

The permanent secretary said men of the Nigerian Army secured the power sector despite the obvious threat to lives and property by the union members and ensured that no live was lost during the period.

He challenged the Army to prevail on its officers and men on the field to sustain the momentum of providing safety for the nation’s power infrastructure, pledging the ministry’s commitment to ensuring full restoration of power to areas already liberated from Boko Haram insurgents.

He used the occasion to announce that power had been restored to Ibbi in Taraba State, a region under the Yola Disco that had electricity supply disruption as a result of communal clashes in the area.

 

[Punch]